1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an engaging device and, more particularly, to an improved engaging device to conveniently dispose wheels to a golf cart.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
FIG, 1 shows a golf cart which comprises a main frame 51 having a bottom support 52 disposed to a lower end thereof and a handle 53 formed on an upper end thereof. An upper support 50 is disposed to the main frame 51 so that a golf bag (not shown) can be disposed on the bottom support 52 and supported by the upper support 50. A rear axle 55 is disposed transversely to a rear end of the cart so that two rear wheels 60 are respectively disposed to two ends of the rear axle 55. Each of two ends of the rear axle 55 has an annular groove 56 (see FIG. 2) defined in a periphery thereof.
Referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, the two rear wheels 60 are required to be disengagable from the rear axle 55 for a storage purpose, so that each of the rear wheels 60 is mounted to the rear axle 55 by an engaging device 70. The engaging device 70 includes a disk member 71 fixedly connected to an outer side of the rear wheel 60 by at least two bolts 711 (only one is shown) and having a central hole 710 defined therethrough so as to let the rear axle 55 extend through the central hole 710, an actuating plate 73, a biasing member 76 connected to the actuating plate 73 and a cap 77 fixedly connected to the disk member 71 and receiving the actuating plate 73 together with the biasing member 76 therein. The actuating plate 73 has an aperture 731 defined therein and two ears 74, 74' respectively extending in opposite directions therefrom. A shoulder portion 75 extends inwardly from a periphery defining the aperture 731 and a hole 732 is defined in a lower portion of the actuating plate 73 so that one of two ends of the biasing member 76 is engaged with a periphery defining the hole 732 and the other end of the biasing member 76 is mounted to a side of the ear 74 located at a top of the actuating plate 73. The cap 77 has a skirt 771 extending from a periphery thereof and three projections 78 extend from the peripheral edge of the skirt 771 so as to extend through three slits 72 respectively defined in the disk member 71. The three projections 78 are bent after extending through the slits 72 to connect the disk member 71 and the cap 77. The cap 77 further has two slots 79 defined in directions opposite in the skirt 771 so that the two ears 74, 74' respectively extend therethrough. The two biasing members 76 each bias the corresponding actuating plate 73 downwardly to insert the shoulder portion 75 into the annular groove 56 corresponding thereto so as to prevent the rear wheels 60 from disengaging from the rear axle 55.
When disengaging the rear wheels 60 from the rear axle 55, a user simply pushes the lower ear 74' upwardly to disengage the shoulder portion 75 from the annular groove 56. The rear wheels 60 are then able to be disengaged from the rear axle 55 conveniently. However, it is found that the disk member 71 easily becomes loose because bolts 711 are often loosened by vibrations. Furthermore, once the actuating plate 73 or the biasing member 76 has to be replaced, the replacing process will take a lot of time because the cap 77 is securely connected to the disk member 71. In addition, the two ears 74, 74' have only limited length extending from the slots 79 of the cap 77 and gaps between the disk member 71 and the respective ears 74, 74' are so narrow so that it is inconvenient for a user's finger to operate those ears 74, 74'.
The present invention intends to provide an improved engaging device to mitigate and/or obviate the above-mentioned problems.